Name partner bolts from Chicago law firm along with 28 other attorneys

A name partner of Chicago-based Bates Carey Nicolaides has exited the firm along with 28 of its attorneys.

Richard Nicolaides and his group will now be known as Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan. The new practice also has four West Coast lawyers from other firms, including name partner Sara Thorpe, who is in charge of the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices of Nicolaides Fink, reports Crain’s Chicago Business (reg. req.).

The 38 lawyers remaining at Nicolaides’ now-former firm will practice as BatesCarey. Its name partners did not respond to requests for comment from Crain’s.

Both firms specialize in commercial insurance matters, representing insurers. American International Group Inc. is one of the clients that went with the new firm.

Nicolaides, who said he is open to hiring other lawyers from throughout the country, told Crains that differing views about potential expansion is one of the reasons for the split, which has been brewing for months. “We all decided it made sense to go our separate ways,” he said.